WATERVILLE — Free wireless internet installed downtown by Colby College and the Central Maine Growth Council has attracted over 124,000 users in its first seven months, according to a news release from the council.

“As the usage data illustrates, public wi-fi is increasingly becoming a necessity for patrons of downtown districts,” said Garvan D. Donegan, director of planning and economic development for Central Maine Growth Council, in the release.

“The opportunity to stay connected to the internet encourages visitors to extend their stay in downtown, exploring the shops, restaurants, and recreational venues, boosting commerce and tourism.”

The free and open to the public wireless internet was installed by Colby and the Central Maine Growth Council in August 2018.

Kennebec Savings Bank, MaineGeneral Health, Northern Light Inland Hospital, and Thomas College’s Harold Alfond Institute for Business Innovation have also helped support the project since the initial investment.

Coverage is available outdoors and extends north-south from Post Office Square to Hathaway Creative Center and east-west from Head of Falls to the Concourse.

According to the release, the implementation of downtown wi-fi also coincided with several technology-related developments in the downtown district.

CGI, an information technology and consulting firm, moved into its new office space at 173 Main St. around the same time, and the GenoTyping Center of America, a biotechnology company based in Ellsworth, also opened a laboratory in the Hathaway Creative Center last summer.

“The city of Waterville is emerging as a technology hub, and downtown Waterville wi-fi further positions the city for future growth,” Donegan said in the release.

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